Assassin's Creed III is set during the revolutionary era with much of the campaign being focused upon events surrounding the war with England. That being said, this opened up a lot of new possibilities for the Assassin's Creed franchise. Many new additions made it into the game, though the game itself feels as though it stays true to its roots. All in all, I'll break down the various elements of the game (briefly) and score them individually, ending with an overall score of the game.
Storyline: 10/10
Being as how I have been a fan of the Assassin's Creed games since the first one, I have liked all the previous storylines; and this is no exception. The story is great, many twists and turns that you may or may not be expecting, either way, there is rarely a dull moment. Furthermore, this story can be picked up by newcomers to the series (though I would recommend playing the other games before this one to get a COMPLETE sense of the story) and returning fans alike.
Gameplay: 9.5/10
The gameplay is somewhat different from the others in regards to the way you "free-run" as well as to countering attacks and disarming and the like. However, it is simple to pick up and play, but fun enough to keep you interested. Some new gameplay elements were added such as being able to captain the ocean vessel the "Aquila" and complete privateer missions as side-quests. Overall, amazing gameplay with one notable downside. That downside being horseback riding. The horseback riding mechanics in this game are horrendous. I find it odd that in this game, sometimes a horse will get stuck on a miniscule object such as a very small rock, but then can jump over quite a large one. Furthermore, the horse does not handle as well as I'd have liked. I constantly find myself stuck between two trees or rocks because the horse doesn't want to turn properly. On another note, the horse sometimes get stuck in areas where it appears to have plenty of room to maneuver. I am not sure as to why that is, but it is nonetheless, irritating.
Replayability: 8/10
This game is great from start to finish, though there is no real reason to play it all over again. The only reason I even gave it an 8/10 is because of the vast amount of time you can spend completing the various side-quests and main quests. Sometimes there does need to be a great sense of replayability in a game if there is enough content to keep you playing for a large amount of time in a single playthrough.
Multiplayer: 9/10
The multiplayer in this game is innovative (in comparison to other multiplayer titles currently available). It is not meant to be on the same level as other popular titles such as Gears of War, Battlefield, or Call of Duty. That being said, the multiplayer is nowhere near as immersive as the aforementioned games, though as I said, I don't think it was intended to be because the primary focus in Assassin's Creed has typically been the single player elements of the game. There are various online gametypes ranging from team versus, free for all, or even teaming up with a few other players to take out designated NPCs. Overall, the multiplayer likely will not keep you excited for long, though it is a nice change of pace.
Graphics: 10/10
The graphics of the game are simply stunning. The character models are great as are the environments in which you play. Occasionally you will run in to minor graphical issues or "glitches" if you will, though they typically fix themselves promptly.
Overall: 10/10
I feel that this is a fair rating primarily due to the great story line and vast amount of options you have before and after the campaign is complete (depending on how you play). "Everything looks good, feels good, plays good, and is good." "Except for the horses, they aren't so great!"
